Tennis-Kerber untroubled as Australian Open campaign gets underway

MELBOURNE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Title contender Angelique Kerber started her Australian Open campaign with a straight-forward 6-2 6-2 victory against Slovenia’s Polona Hercog on Monday.

The 2016 Australian Open winner will play Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round in a battle between two left-handed counter-punchers.

Kerber minimised her time under the hot sun on Monday, where temperatures surpassed 30 degrees celsius (86°F) during the day-time matches in Melbourne, securing the straight sets win in just over an hour. (Reporting by Jonathan Barrett in Melbourne; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)